(What Would You Do) To Save the One You Love?
by Lacuna Everspring
Summary: Two of the Gundam pilots are captured after an accident. Then for some reason, Heero is asked for ransom by the abductors, Duo finds out just what he is willing to sacrifice to protect the people he loves.
1. Chapter 1

Title: "Saving The One I Love"  
Author: Lacuna Everspring  
Rating: T  
Catagory: Yaoi, Angst,  
Pairings: 2+1  
Warnings: I did this at 3 in the morning, so forgive me if it doesn't make a lot of sense.  
Disclaimers: Characters: Theirs, not mine. *pouts chibi-like*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Part One

When we heard it on the news, I almost couldn't believe my ears. Both Trowa and Quatre had been captured by Oz. And there wasn't a damn thing that us remaining Gundam pilot's could do, was there?

I'm afraid for them, knowing of the torture that they are bound to be suffering from right about now. I know, because I've been through almost the same thing too, when I was captured by Oz, and Heero rescued me, several days later.

Heero had specifically told me not to go after them, that it was a trap so that Oz could capture all five of us Gundam pilots. Even Wufei told me the same thing. But, I suppose in retrospect, when did I ever do what I was told?

But something strange had happened when they had called for their "ransom". They weren't interested in either Wufei or myself...they specifically demanded Heero. They wanted Heero to surrender, or lest his felow pilots' be killed in an execution.

I suppose what I did was out of my love for that damn idiot who kepps threatening to kill me, day in and day out. I knew that they wanted to kill him. But Heero refused to see it. That's why I did what I did that night.

None of us were partucularly hungry that night, but I knew that Heero was seriously considering offering himself up, much to all of our surprise.

All I knew is that I couldn't allow him to do that.

I don't know what I'd do if I lost him.

That's why I kept telling myself that was why I did what I did.

That night at dinner, I drugged both of their drinks, and shortly later, they were both heavily sedated and I reluctantly tied them up. Nothing could get in the way of my mission.

I did the unexpected. I ran into the room that I shared with Heero, and hastily pulled open his drawer that held all of his clothes, and pulled out a fresh pair of his spandex shorts and a fresh green top.

I shrugged out of my clothes until I was naked before the full size mirror hanging upon the wall. It had been cracked a long time ago, and now displayed my nude body though its' cracked gaze. I smiled at my reflection sadly. 'Goodbye, Duo Maxwell...' I thought as I shook myself out of my reverie and began to tug on Heero's clothing. Luckily, we were about the same size, so the clothes were not a problem.

If I were to take Heero's place, and they were set upon having Heero and no other...I would have to make myself *look* like Heero.

My shaking hand lifted the sizzors and lifted it to the side of my head, gathering a handful of my long, silky chestnut hair in my other hand. I closed my eyes, lifting my chin and willing myself to do what was nessasary in order to save my only love.

In a flare of determination, I cut the lock of my hair and continued on until there was no more... my hair was now as short as the Japanese boy's. I stood up and strode determinedly into the bathroom, struggling not to weep at the loss of my pride, my glory...my hair...

I set upon the task of dying my hair, a dark brown. We had gotten this dye a while ago, last Hallowe'en but had ended up not using it. After twenty long minutes, I dried my drastically tortured hair until it was completely dry.

I looked into the mirror over the sink at my reflection. I allowed no expression to show upon my features. Close up, you could say that Heero and I didn't look a thing alike, but now with my meager disguise in play, I looked reasonably like the Wing pilot's twin, so much that I could probably get away with my charade. Enough to rescue my friends. Enough to save the man that I loved.

'Heero, I hope you can forgive me for what I'm doing.' I thought, as I strode out of the bedroom, purposefully not looking at the pile of my severed hair lying upon the floor.

As I was about to leave the room, I spotted Heero's notebook and pencil laying on the table beside his laptop.

I walked over to it, and with a shaking hand, I lifted the pencil and began to write a short note to my koibito.

I watched them sleep, a single tear wove its way down my cheek, as I roughly brushed it away, raising my chin in defiance. Heero doesn't cry, so neither can I. I offered their sleeping bodies a wistful smile, before I spun around on my heel and left the safe house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Owari  
Part One  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Chapter 2

Title: "Saving The One I Love"  
Author: Lacuna Everspring  
Rating: T  
Catagory: Yaoi, Angst  
Pairings: 2+1  
Archive: Yes, just please let me know where first?  
Warnings: I did this at 3 in the morning, so forgive me if it doesn't make a lot of sense.  
Disclaimers: Characters: Theirs, not mine. *pouts chibi-like*

Part Two

He awoke sometime later with a dull throbbing pain in his head. Heero lifted his head with mild pain, knowing the less that he moved at that moment, the quicker the drug, he presumed that it was a drug, wore off.

He opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. He was sitting in the livingroom, and he was tied to the chair with a well-woven rope. The rope was tied firmly about his wrists that were bound behind the chair, and his ankles that were tied to each of the chair legs. He wriggled his wrists experimentally, discovering that it would probably take him some time to work his way free of the ropes.

That was probably what Duo wanted. Duo! Why would Duo do this? Take the time to drug them and then tie them up? That wasn't like Duo at all...but...

Heero's head shot up in surprise as he heard a pained moan issued from behind him. Wufei?

Heero turned his head around as far as it would go and saw out of the corner of his eye, the slowly awakening Shenlong pilot.

"Wufei." Heero asked.

"Ugnh...?" Was all that the other teen mumbled, as he blinked off the seditive.

"Wufei, are you able to untie yourself?" Heero demanded, steeling his voice.

After a minute or so of rustling from behind him, Wufei grumbled:

"No. It would take me time to get out of these bonds."

Heero looked away, feeling betrayed.

Heero understood. Duo didn't want them to go after the others, because he was planning to go himself, no matter the cost.

After almost an hour, the two pilot's managed to free themselves from their bonds and were rubbing their raw wrists painfully.

"Where is that traitorous baka? I swear when I get my hands on him-"

"Shut up Wufei." Heero growled, looking around, suspiciously.

"Hmph!" Wufei snorted, as he crossed his arms and glared at the Wing pilot.

Heero began looking around the room, searching for any clues as to Duo's behaviour. Heero walked catiously down the hallway leading away from the livingroom that led to the bedrooms.

Catiously, Heero pushed open the door to the bedroom that he and Duo had shared for the last eight months, and was quite aware of Wufei following him at his heels.

A meter into the bedroom and Heero froze, eyes wide in horror as he stared down at the floor.

Wufei, upon seeing a reaction of that intensity upon the normally emotionless pilot's face, entered the room and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw for himself what had upsetted the other pilots badly.

Upon the middle of the floor, near the tall mirror that hung upon the far wall...was a large pile of severed hair...long locks of chestnut brown hair...

"By the Gods..." Wufei breathed, in shock and disbelief.

Heero couldn't even force out a word as he tore his eyes away briefly from the hair to the table where his laptop sat and noticed an envelope propped up against the screen of the opened computer.

In an almost mechanical manner, Heero walked over to the laptop and picked up the envelope and fingered it in between his index finger and his thumb. It was addressed to him, in Duo's oddly elegant handwriting.

"What is it?" Wufei asked quietly, regarding him solemnly.

"It's a letter from Duo, I believe." Heero replied as he slowly broke the seal of the envelope and pulled the piece of paper out, and began to read:

_ "Heero,_  
_ I know that you are probably furious at me right now, and I completely understand. There is so much that I want to tell you, but I fear now that the crucial moment is upon us, I cannot. But I am forcing myself to be strong, for your sake more so then my own._

_ But I must tell you the truth, even though I cannot tell you in person, because I guess that I am a coward at heart, just like Wufei always says, so I suppose on some level he was right._

_ I love you Heero._

_ There, I said it. I know that although we have been lovers for the last eight months, I know that I probably mean nothing to you other then a way to express the emotions that you are forced to keep hidden in your heart,, but I forgive you no matter the results. I just hope that you can forgive me for what I am about to do, my love._

_ You once told me that when you were being trained by Dr. J, that you were taught the doctrine: "The lives of the many outweigh the lives of the one", and I know that you were planning to follow that teaching to your death, if it only meant that you could rescue both Trowa and Quatre._

_ But my conscience cannot allow you to follow this path alone, so...I am going in your place. As you may have already discovered, I would...and have, given almost everything I can in order to protect the one that I love...meaning you. By the time you read this letter, I should already be long gone on my way to Oz headquarters to surrender myself. If I must die for the cause that I have chosen, I am not sad, because my heart knows that you will be safe._

_ All I can ask is that you do not follow me, if you truly do love me, please, I beg of you...don't follow me. Let me go. That is all I ask. Please, let me go, Heero. I love you with all of my heart._

_ Forever and Always Yours,_  
_ Love_  
_ D._

Heero lowered the hand that the letter was in and he bowed his head, his shoulders slumping in what seemed like defeat.

"Well?" Wufei demanded.

Without lifting his head, Heero lifted the letter, indicating for Wufei to find out for himself what the matter was.

Wufei strode over and took the letter from the Japanese boys' hands and read the letter over for himself. His face visibly paled as he finished, looking sharply at the Wing pilot.

"Oz wanted to kill you, so Maxwell is masquerading as you hoping that he'll be killed instead of you, that way that you'll be able to live even though he will most likely die?" Wufei asked, amazed.

Wufei had honestly thought that Maxwell was a shallow person, caring not for the lives that he took in battle, caring not for anyone elses feelings and always being disrespectful by being happy and cheerful even though everything was being murdered and destroyed all around him.

But today, Wufei learned that although everyone had their masks, he never suspected the Jokers' mask to be the facade of Maxwell's true self. Duo was the one who felt the most deeply out of them all. Although he tried to hide it behind constant smiles and laughter..that was what made Wufei realize that the laughter and smiles were the only thing keeping Duo from breaking down.

"We have to stop him." Heero croaked out.

"If we go now, he'll be kiilled." Wufei replied, sorrowfully.

"If I don't go, he will be." Heero looked up, determination flaring up in his cobalt blue eyes, as he snatched away the letter and shoved it down into the spandex space in his shorts, as he took one last look at the pile of hair upon the floor, he grabbed a lock of the long hair and tied an elastic that was laying on the floor near the pile and tied it off. Heero clenched the lock of hair in his fist, before spinning around on one foot and walking straight out the door.

And with a last glance at the locks of hair, Wufei took a deep breath and turned around and followed the Japanese boy out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Owari  
Part Two  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Chapter 3

Title: "Saving The One I Love"  
Author: Lacuna Everspring  
Rating: T  
Catagory: Yaoi, Angst  
Pairings: 2+1  
Warnings: I did this at 3 in the morning, so forgive me if it doesn't make a lot of sense.  
Disclaimers: Characters: Theirs, not mine. *pouts chibi-like*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Part Three

It felt strange. After living nearly my entire life with long hair, it was quite disconcerting to have it suddenly not be there any more. It did hurt to not have it there, not in the physical kind of pain, but in the emotional kind of pain instead.

I suppose in retrospect, it was a new kind of freedom that I hadn't expected either. Having more free time instead of having to spend at least an hour brushing it and then braiding it.

I arrived at the OZ headquarters shortly after six o'clock at night, but my arrival was not completely unnoticed... I must be losing my touch at stealthy entrances.

I was met at the rear entrence by a battalion of at least sixty OZ soldiers. They captured me and proceeded to search me for any sorts of weapons, but of course, for this suicide mission, there was none.

After a moment, the guards roughly shoved me into the building and through a maze of corridors until they shoved me harshly into what looked to be an interrigation room, six guards followed me into the room, and I supposed that an equal amount probably waited outside.

I hauled myself to my feet and sorely sat down upon one of the folding chairs that was next to the table.

I had a feeling that this was going to be one of the longest nights in my life... the last night of my life.

The Last...

'I'm sorry, Heero. I just couldn't let you die...' I thought, as the heavy metal door opened.

Owari  
Part Three  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
